Eastern Milksnake
Lampropeltis triangulum • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Lampropeltis, Species: L. triangulum
Eastern North America, ranging from southern Ontario and Quebec down through the eastern United States to parts of Georgia, Mississippi, and Kentucky.
Look up Eastern Milksnake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Lampropeltis, Species: L. triangulum
Conservation
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern. Primary threats include habitat loss, fragmentation, and road mortality.
Physical Description
Displays a pattern of dark brown or reddish-brown blotches bordered in black, set against a lighter gray, tan, or whitish background. The head often features a light-colored Y-shaped or V-shaped mark near the back. Scales are smooth and glossy.
Size & Dimensions
Specimen shown is approximately 40-50 cm long, representing a juvenile or subadult. Adults typically range from 60 to 130 cm in total length.
Habitat
Found in a wide variety of habitats including fields, forests, rocky hillsides, agricultural land, and near human structures. Elevational range spans from sea level up to around 2,000 meters.
Diet & Feeding
Preys primarily on small rodents, lizards, amphibians, bird eggs, and other snakes. Hunts actively by foraging and uses constriction to subdue prey.
Reproduction
Oviparous species. Females typically lay clutches of 2 to 24 eggs in mid-summer (June or July) under logs, rocks, or loose soil, where they incubate for about two months.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern. Primary threats include habitat loss, fragmentation, and road mortality.
Cultural Significance
Historically associated with the persistent folklore myth that they milk cows, though they are in fact beneficial as natural rodent controllers.
Notable Features
Features a striking contrasting dorsal blotch pattern that provides effective camouflage in leaf litter and rocky environments.